The Sedge Islands are part of Island Beach's Southern Natural Area and has recently been designated as New Jersey's first marine conservation zone. This conservation zone will provide protection for wildlife and still assure access for those that enjoy fishing, waterfowl hunting, clamming, crabbing, kayaking, and canoeing. Wading through these shallow waters without interruption from personal watercraft accentuates its peaceful, natural beauty.
The purpose of a conservation zone is to coordinate and improve management of wildlife resources and human activities. The natural resources of a tidal marsh ecosystem provide some of the most significant wildlife habitat. Tidal marshes and its estuaries are one of the most productive habitats anywhere in the world. These areas serve as a major nursery for many of our commercial fish and are also a viable source for several seafood delights. Tidal marsh food chains become an elaborate web of life on which we depend.
The Sedge Islands teem with wildlife. Twenty-six active osprey nests fledged forty young birds last year. The peregrine falcon tower that had the first successful breeding nest east of the Mississippi River in 50 years is located in this area. Several colonies of nesting birds, including black skimmers, terns, and an array of migratory birds can be seen here. More than 200 species of birds depend upon this area. Seals, diamond back terrapins, and river otters are also included in the wildlife landscape.
Careful management will be used to protect the natural resources of this area while ensuring that traditional uses continue. Although personal watercraft will be restricted from the zone, they will be permitted in the open bay where conflicts with wildlife and users of the shallow waters will be avoided. Boating, fishing, crabbing, clamming, birding, and waterfowl hunting are traditional uses that are compatible with the management plan.
The Sedge Island Marine Conservation Zone is a unique, comprehensive, resource-based approach to insure that the resources of Barnegat Bay are protected. User conflicts will be reduced, and traditional activities preserved. Everyone benefits by protecting this valuable resource.
New Jersey's Coastal Resources
A Joint Effort between the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve and the
New Jersey Coastal Zone Management Program
New Jersey's coast, with 127 miles of ocean beaches and 1,792 miles of tidelands, comprises some of the state's most valuable natural and economic resources. Nearly 7 million people reside in the state's coastal regions, and millions more are drawn every year to the natural beauty, wildlife, and recreation of these areas through tourism. A growing population of both residents and tourists in New Jersey's coastal regions over the past several decades has resulted in increased pressure on the natural resources in these areas, resulting in the need for improved resource management.
Over the past twenty years the management of coastal resources in New Jersey has shifted from a regulation and enforcement-based model to an approach that focuses on community-based comprehensive planning. With the advent of this approach came the opportunity to integrate the research, education and stewardship efforts of the state's two primary coastal management programs: the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve (JCNERR) and the New Jersey Coastal Zone Management Program (NJCZMP). Working together, these two programs can more effectively identify and address coastal management concerns on state, regional, and local levels.
Initiated in 1998, the Coastal Decision-Maker Workshop (CDMW) series is an excellent example of the combined efficacy of the JCNERR and the NJCZMP. These workshops provide information, resources, and networking opportunities to individuals whose decisions affect coastal resources in the course of their daily professional lives.
Recently, a series of two workshops titled "Impacts of Small Motorized Boats on Shallow Water Systems" addressed the rapid increase in the number of small boats and personal watercraft in New Jersey coastal waters. Competing uses and values of water users are causing increasing conflicts among recreationalists, waterfront residents, and environmentalists. Consequently, the management of small, motorized watercraft has become a critical issue in many areas.
These two workshops invited representatives from the scientific community, state and local government agencies, industry, and non-governmental organizations to share their expertise and values. Participants first reviewed scientific research concerning the impacts of small watercraft on shallow water environments, and then coupled this information with existing management practices in other states to assess a range of potential management strategies for New Jersey waters. This same science-to-management approach is applied to all coastal decision-maker workshops, resulting in participants who are better prepared to manage our coastal resources.
For more information about new Jersey's coastal management programs, visit the JCNERR at marine.rutgers.edu/cousteau, and the NJCZMP at www.state.nj.us/dep/.
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